High School Praised

Some Areas Can Improve

Somers High Gets Evaluation

SOMERS — An accreditation study of Somers High School has found that the school has impressive facilities, faculty and large community support, but there is room for improvement.

The 64-page report, the result of a study conducted every 10 years by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, cited a pressing need to improve the school's financial appropriations and curriculum. The school hardly caters to non-college bound students who seek work immediately after high school, according to the report.

A 13-member committee including teachers, school principals and state Department of Education representatives, conducted the four-day study, which investigates 10 areas ranging from student support services to curriculum and instruction.

``The report to me held no surprises,'' said School Superintendent Paul Gagliarducci. ``Overall, it reflected great potential for the future. I didn't look at it as a report card. There was more good than bad.''

Good and bad there was. The report praised the school for everything from its modern layout to the use of student artwork on the walls.

But the evaluation also contained a lengthy list of recommendations, including a suggestion that the position of assistant principal -- recently filled by teacher Barbara Miles of Ellington -- needs to be more clearly defined.

The most pervasive of these was the finding that the curriculum is inadequate and is organized to meet the needs of college-bound students, largely ignoring those without post-secondary aspirations.

``We are fundamentally a comprehensive high school, not a vocational high school,'' said Gagliarducci. He noted the improving statistic of college enrollment, which has risen in the past two years to a high of 75 percent for the 1995 graduating class.

Gagliarducci strongly opposed the conclusion that the needs of non-college bound students were not being met. The high school offers various school-to-work programs, including auto mechanics and typing, he said.

Among other recommendations in the report was the need to improve funding to the library media center in the high school, which has been forsaken to the point that its list of periodicals has dropped significantly.

``It hasn't been at the top of the list in terms of the amount of discretionary funding that's left,'' said Prinicpal Daniel Lynch. ``We need to revisit support of the media center and make it a priority at budget time.''

The study was done in April after the high school completed a two-year self-study, the initial step in the accreditation process.

Next, the report will be evaluated by the association's commission on public secondary schools, which will meet to discuss it at the end of the month.

``Somers High School is now committed to that report,'' said Janet Allison, associate director to the commission.

``The expectation is that by the fifth year they will implement every recommendation. We don't tell them what to do, but we will monitor them on a routine and regular basis.''